The long-term effects of logging for woodchips on small mammal populations

2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Lunney ◽  
Alison Matthews ◽  
Peggy Eby ◽  
Angela M. Penn
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
North West ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Species Specific

Context. Long-term studies are internationally recognised as an essential component of achieving ecologically sustainable forest management with respect to fauna. Aims. This study aimed to assess longer-term responses of small mammals to logging by returning in 1998 to our 1980–83 study sites in south-eastern New South Wales, Australia. Methods. Three age-classes of forest were surveyed: unlogged; 18–19-year-old regrowth; and 26–34-year-old regrowth. Key results. Rattus fuscipes remained affected by logging, and there were significantly fewer R. fuscipes males in logged, north-west-facing sites than at other sites, although the effect was less pronounced in 1998 than in 1980–83. Antechinus agilis females were significantly less numerous in south-east-facing, unlogged forest. This was not expected from the 1980–83 results. Antechinus swainsonii, which had disappeared following a fire in 1980, had returned to the forest by 1998. A. swainsonii females showed a significant preference for south-east-facing slopes and this relationship was consistent between logged and unlogged forest. No members of Mus musculus or Sminthopsis leucopus, which were present in 1980–83, were caught in 1998. Conclusions. As in the 1980s study, the responses of small mammal species to logging history were varied and species specific. Implications. In our study area, we predict that sustained logging for woodchips will continue to deplete its populations of small mammals. This adds to the case for a more robust and sustained approach to researching and managing our forest fauna.

scholarly journals Metapopulations and Feeding Selectivity of Montane and Long-Tailed Voles (Microtus montanus and M. Longicaudus), and Hantavirus and Plague in the Jackson Hole Small Mammal Communtiy

1995 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 33-36
Author(s):  
Frederick Jannett, Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Ground Squirrels ◽  
Feeding Selectivity ◽  
Microtus Montanus ◽  
Human Contact ◽  
Jackson Hole ◽  
Demographic Processes ◽  
Study Sites

The purpose of the long-term research which began in 1971 on metapopulations of voles is to enumerate patterns in surviorship, reproduction, and morphology across sections of the metapopulations. The study sites for Microtus montanus were chosen to represent primary and secondary habitat and proximate and isolated habitat patches. The purpose of the work which commenced in 1989 is to ascertain how selectively Microtus montanus and M. longicaudus feed, and to assess vegetation as a factor in demographic processes of the two species . The purpose of the more recently initiated study on hantavirus started in 1994 is to ascertain the extent of hantavirus among as many species of small mammals as possible, to identify the strain(s), to understand the presence of hantavirus across species and among the metapopulations of voles, and to assess the potential for human contact. The purpose of the work on plague since 1995 is to test the long-standing hypothesis that voles are a reservoir in the intervals between plague outbreaks among ground squirrels.

scholarly journals Metapopulations of Montane and Long-Tailed Voles (Microtus montanus and M. longicaudus), and Hantavirus and Plague in the Jackson Hole Small Mammal Community

1996 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 52-56
Author(s):  
Frederick Jannett, Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Ground Squirrels ◽  
Habitat Patches ◽  
Microtus Montanus ◽  
Human Contact ◽  
Jackson Hole ◽  
Small Mammal Community ◽  
Study Sites

The purpose of the long-term research begun in 1971 on metapopulations of voles is to enumerate patterns in survivorship, reproduction, and morphology across the sections of the metapopulations. The study sites for Microtus montanus were chosen to represent primary and secondary habitat, and proximate and isolated habitat patches. The purpose of the research on hantavirus begun in 1994 is to ascertain the extent of hantavirus among as many species of small mammals as possible, to identify the strain(s), to understand the presence of hantavirus across species and among the metapopulations of voles, and to assess the potential for human contact. The purpose of the research on plague begun in 1995 is to test the long-standing hypothesis that voles are a reservoir in the intervals between plague outbreaks among ground squirrels.

The effects of a low-intensity fire on small mammals and lizards in a logged, burnt forest

2003 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela M. Penn ◽  
William B. Sherwin ◽  
Daniel Lunney ◽  
Peter B. Banks
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Vegetative Cover ◽  
North West ◽  
Hazard Reduction ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Antechinus Agilis ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Positive Effect

This study summarises the results of a patchy, low-intensity hazard-reduction burn on the small mammals and lizards of Mumbulla State Forest and Biamanga National Park. About half of the study sites in the patchwork of alternate logging regrowth and unlogged forest had been burnt in April 1999. Prior to burning (winter 1998), there were significantly more Antechinus agilis in those north-west-facing sites that burnt in 1999, than in the south-east sites that burnt. By 15 months post-burning this trend had reversed, with more A. agilis in the burnt south-east sites. In contrast, burning had an initially positive effect on the abundance of Rattus fuscipes, with significantly more in the burnt south-east than burnt north-west sites four months post-burning compared with 1998 (pre-burning). This influence of aspect may be attributable to the fact that fires generally burn more intensely on the drier north-west slopes, removing more of the leaf litter and vegetative cover and making post-fire conditions harsher. Antechinus swainsonii became extremely scarce in the forest after the burning. Twenty months post-burning (summer 2000), there were significantly more Lampropholis delicata in the unburnt sites than in the burnt sites compared with 1999 (10 months post-burn). Lampropholis guichenoti were affected to a much lesser extent and recovered quickly, and Eulamprus heatwolei were generally unaffected by the burning. The hazard-reduction burn came 19 years after a high-intensity bushfire and logging operation in this forest. The results of the two fires were similar for the two Antechinus species and the Eulamprus species but contrasted for the other species. Hazard-reduction burning is widespread and accepted as a management tool and, following the New South Wales bushfires of 1994–95 and 2001–02, will probably increase in use. Our results, however, suggest that the biodiversity impacts of burning are complex and multidirectional, posing a significant challenge to conservation managers.

scholarly journals Metapopulations of Montane and Long-Tailed Voles (Microtus montanus and M. longicaudus), and Hantavirus and Plague in the Jackson Hole Small Mammal Community

1997 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 29-32
Author(s):  
Frederick Jannett, Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Ground Squirrels ◽  
Habitat Patches ◽  
Microtus Montanus ◽  
Human Contact ◽  
Jackson Hole ◽  
Small Mammal Community ◽  
Study Sites

The purpose of the long-term research begun in 1971 on metapopulations of voles is to enumerate patterns in survivorship, reproduction, and morphology across the sections of the metapopulations. The study sites for Microtus montanus were chosen to represent primary and secondary habitat, and proximate and isolated habitat patches. The purpose of the research on hantavirus begun in 1994 is to ascertain the extent of hantavirus among as many species of small mammals as possible, to identify the strain(s), to understand the presence of hantavirus across species and among the metapopulations of voles, and to assess the potential for human contact. The purpose of the research on plague begun in 1995 is to test the long-standing hypothesis that voles are a reservoir in the intervals between plague outbreaks among ground squirrels.

scholarly journals Metapopulations and Feeding Selectivity of Montane and Long-Tailed Voles Microtus montanus and M. Longicaudus, and Hantavirus in the Jackson Hole Small Mammal Community

1994 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 52-55
Author(s):  
Frederick Jannett, Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Feeding Selectivity ◽  
Microtus Montanus ◽  
Human Contact ◽  
Jackson Hole ◽  
Small Mammal Community ◽  
Demographic Processes ◽  
Study Sites

The purposes of the long-term research on metapopulations of voles begun in 1971 are to enumerate patterns in survivorship and reproduction across the sections of the metapopulations, and concomitant variation in morphology. The study sites for Microtus montanus were chosen to represent primary and secondary habitat, and proximate and isolated habitat patches. The purpose of the research begun in 1989 is to ascertain how selectively Microtus montanus and M. longicaudus feed, and to assess vegetation as a factor in demographic processes of the two species. The purpose of the research on hantavirus begun in 1994 is to ascertain the extent of hantavirus among as many species of small mammals as possible, to identify the strain(s), to understand the presence of hantavirus across species and among the metapopulations of voles, and to assess the potential for human contact.

scholarly journals Succession Effects on Mammal and Inverterbrate Communities 26 Years After the 1988 huckleberry Mountain Fire

2014 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 49-57
Author(s):  
Hayley Lanier ◽  
Andy Kulikowski ◽  
R. Seville ◽  
Zachary Roehrs ◽  
Meredith Roehrs
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Fire Season ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Long Term Study

Fires are an important and increasingly common driver of habitat structure in the intermountain West. Through an ongoing study of burned and adjacent unburned areas along the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, we examine the long-term effects of the 1988 fire season on community assembly, succession, and ecological processes. We collected mark/recapture data on rodents, removal data for insectivorous mammals and invertebrates, and habitat measurements on four grids in 2014 and combined these results with previous survey data. In 2014, 4,800 trap nights yielded 13 species of small mammals, comprising 618 individuals. Macroarthropod abundance was higher on burned grids, but diversity was higher on unburned grids. In contrast, springtail (Collembola) diversity was higher on burned grids, but abundance was highest in unburned grids. Since the beginning of this long-term study, the total number of mammal species has increased across all sites, and relative abundance in burned areas has shifted from early successional species (Peromyscus maniculatus) to those more associated with old growth forests (such as Myodes gapperi). Other than in 1991, the burned grids have harbored more diverse small mammal communities than the unburned control grids. Significant, long-term differences in vegetation based upon burn history were observed, including different ground cover, less canopy cover, and more coarse woody debris in burned sites. This work provides a unique long-term picture of the interrelationships of small mammal and invertebrate communities and correlated habitat variables as these ecosystems undergo post-fire succession.

scholarly journals Small Mammal Movements and Fire History: Testing the Long-Term Effects of the 1988 Huckleberry Mountain Fire

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 58-67
Author(s):  
Hayley Lanier ◽  
Lorraine Carver ◽  
Zachary Roehrs ◽  
Meredith Roehrs ◽  
R. Seville
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
Habitat Complexity ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Long Term Study

Fires are an important ecological force shaping biological communities in western North America. Fires change landscapes in ways which influence the relative abundance and activities of the organisms occurring in those habitats. Preliminary results from previous work suggest the stage of fire succession may influence individual movements on the landscape. As part of a long-term study of the 1988 Yellowstone fires along the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, we set out to examine these patterns in more detail to (1) test whether the two dominant small mammal species were moving different distances based upon the stage of succession in a particular habitat, and (2) determine the role of habitat complexity, resource types, and species abundance in driving these patterns. Using movement distances from capture-recapture data and fluorescent powder tracking of individuals we compared movement distances and habitat usage between mid-succession and late-succession trapping grids for red-backed voles (Myodes gapperi) and deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus). The results suggest deer mice, some of the first colonizers to burned habitat, are moving farther than red-backed voles, and move farther in burned habitats than in unburned habitats. Red-backed voles exhibit slightly, but not significantly, longer movements in burned habitats. Powder tracking results suggest habitat complexity, in particular the quantity of coarse woody debris, may partially explain the differences in movement patterns by burn history. These results are important for understanding the long-lasting impacts of fire history on population and community patterns.

Long-term stress level in a small mammal species undergoing range expansion

Mammalia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrien André ◽  
Johan Michaux ◽  
Jorge Gaitan ◽  
Virginie Millien
Keyword(s):  
Stress Level ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Range Expansion ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Distribution Ranges ◽  
Northern Edge ◽  
Small Mammal Species ◽  
White Footed Mouse

Abstract Rapid climate change is currently altering species distribution ranges. Evaluating the long-term stress level in wild species undergoing range expansion may help better understanding how species cope with the changing environment. Here, we focused on the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), a widespread small mammal species in North-America whose distribution range is rapidly shifting northward. We evaluated long-term stress level in several populations of P. leucopus in Quebec (Canada), from the northern edge of the species distribution to more core populations in Southern Quebec. We first tested the hypothesis that populations at the range margin are under higher stress than more established populations in the southern region of our study area. We then compared four measures of long-term stress level to evaluate the congruence between these commonly used methods. We did not detect any significant geographical trend in stress level across our study populations of P. leucopus. Most notably, we found no clear congruence between the four measures of stress level we used, and conclude that these four commonly used methods are not equivalent, thereby not comparable across studies.

scholarly journals Diversity and Diet Differences of Small Mammals in Commensal Habitats

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 346
Author(s):  
Linas Balčiauskas ◽  
Laima Balčiauskienė ◽  
Andrius Garbaras ◽  
Vitalijus Stirkė
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Additional Food ◽  
Δ13c And Δ15n ◽  
Degree Of Separation ◽  
Kitchen Gardens ◽  
Dietary Plasticity ◽  
The Stability

The stability of diversity of syntopic (inhabiting the same habitat in the same time) small mammals in commensal habitats, such as farmsteads and kitchen gardens, and, as a proxy of their diet, their isotopic niches, was investigated in Lithuania in 2019–2020. We tested whether the separation of species corresponds to the trophic guilds, whether their diets are related to possibilities of getting additional food from humans, and whether their diets are subject to seasonal trends. We analyzed diversity, dominance and distribution of hair δ13C and δ15N values. Diversity and dominance was not stable and differed according to human influence. The highest small mammal species richness occurred in commensal habitats that provided additional food. The degree of separation of species was higher in homestead habitats than in kitchen gardens, where a 1.27 to 35.97% overlap of isotopic niches was observed between pairs of species. Temporal changes in δ13C and δ15N values in the hair of the mammals were not equally expressed in different species. The isotopic overlap may depend on dietary plasticity, minimizing interspecific competition and allowing co-existence of syntopic species. Thus, small mammal trophic ecology is likely related to intensity of agricultural activities in the limited space of commensal habitats.

Small mammal mycophagy in hemiboreal forest communities of Lithuania

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 446-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marija Kataržytė ◽  
Ernestas Kutorga
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Seasonal Effects ◽  
Deciduous Tree ◽  
Myodes Glareolus ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Hypogeous Fungi ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
Significant Difference

AbstractThe diets of small mammals in different hemiboreal spruce-dominated, oak-dominated and mixed forests in western part of Lithuania were studied by examination of fungal spores in fresh fecal pellets of caught animals. In the diets of mice (Apodemus spp.), bank voles (Myodes glareolus), and common and pygmy shrews (Sorex araneus and S. minutus), 22 different fungal taxa were identified, 15 of which were hypogeous fungi. The sporocarp abundance and the spores in fecal samples of Elaphomyces fungi prevailed in study area during this investigation. Although most of the captured individuals consumed fungi, the consumption varied among small mammal species. The data show that the fungi were more frequent and taxonomically diverse in Myodes glareolus than in Apodemus spp. diets. The study provided evidence that the fungal component in the diets of insectivorous Sorex species is more diverse than previously known. The availability of sporocarps and the fungal component in the diets of small mammals showed seasonal effects. Annual hypogeous and epigeous sporocarp abundances did not vary significantly across forest types. The significant difference in mycophagy was observed across all forest cover types, with the greatest fungal diversity in fecal samples collected in mixed coniferous-deciduous tree stands.

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